Money Monday Nov. 2nd

Money Monday – November 2, 2026

The gaming industry is bleeding out. Over ten thousand jobs gone this year already, more studios getting the axe, and the big boys keep shipping games while developers clean out their desks. Gamers are voting with their wallets on the crap that deserves it. Let's get into it.

💥 Fail of the Week: The Layoff Machine Keeps Rolling

Ten thousand nine hundred seventy seven jobs lost in gaming so far in 2026. That already beats all of 2025. Thirty five studios closed, one hundred sixty one hit with cuts. The numbers keep climbing and nobody in the corner offices seems to care.

Schell Games just dropped forty nine people. Forty percent of their staff. Second round this year for that Pittsburgh VR studio. They worked on Among Us VR and other stuff. Now a big chunk of the team is out the door because of "market conditions."

Sucker Punch cut twenty four folks, about ten percent. They tied it to reviewing their next project and whatever the market is doing. Same story every time. Crunch the team, ship something, then thin the ranks when the suits decide it's time.

BioWare is already gone from earlier this fall. EA killed it and canceled the next Mass Effect. Microsoft is still swinging the axe across Xbox. The pattern never changes. Make the games, hit the targets, then get shown the door so the quarterly numbers look better. That's your Fail of the Week and it ain't close.

🎮 GTA 6 Is Coming Into Focus

Grand Theft Auto VI is still the big one everyone is watching. New screenshots and details keep dropping and the attention to small stuff is getting ridiculous in the best way. The world looks alive. People are already picking apart every frame like they always do with these games.

Rockstar knows how to build hype. Gamers have been waiting years and the closer it gets, the more the conversation turns to whether it will actually deliver or just coast on the name. That's the real test. If it stumbles, the wallet vote will be loud and fast.

🕹️ Zelda Hits Switch 2 Next Week

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 on November 5. Classic game getting the modern treatment. Nintendo is leaning into the nostalgia hard with this one and a few other releases lined up for the month.

Eleven games hitting Switch platforms in November according to the counts. Zelda leads the pack. If you missed it the first time around or just want to replay it on the new hardware, this is the week to grab it. Physical collectors should check if it is on cart or one of those key card deals.

🎮 Game Pass and Platform Notes

Xbox is still dropping titles every week. The service keeps adding stuff while the layoffs roll on. That disconnect is getting old fast. Gamers keep subscribing and the money flows, but the people making the games are the ones paying the price when things tighten up.

PlayStation and Nintendo have their own lineups moving. No big surprises this week, just the steady drip of new content and ports. The real story is still how many people are choosing to skip the junk and wait for the stuff that earns the purchase.

📰 Quick Hits

• Assassin's Creed new entry is out now if you are into that board game style spin off. Mixed reception so far.

• Phantom Blade Zero had a last minute voice actor change that fans noticed immediately.

• CoD Modern Warfare is cutting a real life Korean tragedy segment after backlash. Smart move before it lands in the game.

• WoW Forever is promising no dead servers. About time someone addressed that.

📅 What's Next

• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time — Nov 5 on Switch 2.

• GTA 6 — Still the elephant in the room. Watch for more details.

• New Assassin's Creed — Out now.

• More layoffs expected — The 2026 total is already past last year and climbing.

That's your Monday. The industry keeps cutting jobs while shipping the next big thing. Gamers have the power here. Skip the trash, wait for the good stuff, and let your wallet do the talking. See you next Monday.